Parachute pack with a single releasing hook



April 18, 1939. L. AVORIO 2,155,074

PARACHUTE PACK WITH A SINGLE RELEASING HOOK Filed Aug. 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATT RNEYS April 18, 1939. 1.. AVORIO PARACHUTE PAC K WITH A SINGLE RELEASING HOOK Filed Aug. 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z e Z Luigi A Vofim INVENTOR I A 7fu/m (2,4 4:,

ATTOR N 5Y5 Patented Apr. 18, .1939 2,155,074

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARACHUTE PACK WITH A SINGLE BELEASINGs HOOK Luigi Avorio, Rome, Italy Application August 17, 1937, Serial No. 159,467 In Italy August 17, 1936 2 Claims. (Cl. 244-448) The present invention relates to improvements the parachutist, on which the single book, ento the attachment of the parachute pack and the gaging the ring of the parachute pack. is promounting of said pack on board of an aircraft. vided;

Owing to the want of available space on board 2. Parachute container comprising the canopy,

5 the aircraft, to the ever increasing duties rethe rigging lines, the opening device, the casing.

quired from the crew of the aircraft more parthe hook ring; which parts are all placed in the:

ticularly in military aircraft, the need of ever in- 3. Device carrying the parachute pack fixed creasing the comfort of the passengers during to the aircraft. long cruises as obtaining at present times, it is The suspension girdle is an element known and .0 necessary that the pack containing the paraused in modern parachutes and fully answers its chute, which is often bulky and heavy may not purpose when it is adjustable to the body size weigh continuously on the ,person who may of the parachutist. For this purpose, it is proeventually use it. vided with a suitable adjusting device adapted From the above considerations the detachable to displace the hooking buckle. This may be l5 parachute pack has been evolved. accomplished in various ways; for example, by Hi This type of parachute pack has however the disposing the hooking meshes of'the belt so as to inconvenience that it must be slung on before form a metallic chain in which said meshes are using it, and consequently during the few morotatableround axes parallel to one another. ments available for the purpose, and when this On the meshes of this chain, the hook of the manmuvre is eventually effected in conditions of pack of-the parchute is fixed.

apprehension, as the leap overboard is of abnor- However, quite independently of the possibilmal character and is particularly difflcult. ity of displacing the connecting hook in accord- It is therefore necessary that the slip on of ance with the body size of the parachutist, it is the pack by the parachutist may be as simple and necessary that the hook may be single, and that as rapid as possible, but that at the same time it should always occupy the same relative posi- 25 this 7 operation should be independent from the tion with respect to the body of the parachutist. conditions of time, space, place and size of the Moreover, it may also be possible that the posiperson wearing the parachute pack. In addition, tion of the hook with respect to the chain belt the absolute strength and resistance of the vari' may be fixed, this latter being made in various ous parts must always be secured, and the paradimensions depending on the diflerent sides of 30 chutist must be supported in a convenient posithe parachutists. tion, while the detachment of the parachute pack The accompanying drawings show by way of is impossible unless the parachutist desires to do example a practical form of construction of the so when the parachute is not in use. parachute pack according to the invention; in

The object of the present invention is to prowhich: 35

vide a parachute pack which satisfies all thecon- Figures 1, 2 and 3 show the hook attachment ditions above mentioned, which conditions may to the girdle, and also the hook hooked to the be resumed as follows: girdle respectively in side and front views. and

I (a) Simplicity, facility and safety of manoeuvre; in horizontal section.

40 (1)) Independence from the body size of the Figures 4, ,5 and 6 show the parachute pack 40 person wearing the parachute and from the viewed respectively from the bottom side. from clothes hewear; v the top, with the open and empty casing. and (c) Sumcient strength and resistance of the from the top with the open casing and the paravarious parts in relation to the operation of the chute folded into it. I

parachute; i Fig. '7 shows a small cage adapted to contain 45 (d) Impossibility of detaching unvoluntarily the parachute container which is fixed on to one 1 the parachute pack from the suspension belt or of the side walls of the aircraft.

girdle; Fig. 8 shows the parachute pack placed inside (e) Possibility of reinstating to its initial conthe'small cage shown 'in Fig. 7, when it is fixed dition the parachute pack in case the parachute on a side wall. 50

has not been used. In all the figures of the drawings like parts For the purpose of fulfilling the conditions of the device are indicated by the same referabove mentioned, the parachute comprises the 'ence numerals. following principal parts: The type of hook shown in Figures 1, 2 and3 1. Adjustable girdle, not bulky, always worn by to which the parachute pack is to be hooked by 55 hook 5 in the locked it may rotate round girdle. This point means of the hooking ring carried bythe parachute pack, must hand side of the according to the body size of the various persons, may assume various diflerentrelative positions with respect to parachutist. a block; chain serving for the adjustment of the girdle round the body of the parachutist, as it is possibleto insert the hook into any oiv the meshes of the adjustable chain, or even. on; to the end.

plate limiting the chain at the left hand side of the parachutist.

In order to comply with the other requirements above enumerated, the hook is permanently fixed at the end of a strap 3, of suificiently strong character, the other end of which is fixed on to the girdle at a point corresponding, to the middle of the back of the parachutist when the latter is wearing the girdle. When the parachute operates, the hook is released from the girdle, and the parachutist remains suspended, when the canopy has opened, to the right position for the descent. The hook and the suspension strap are the only elements intervening, for simplifying still further the manoeuvre, and for obtaining the rotation in the air of the parachutist, as will be explained hereinafter. The strap passes on the left shoulder of the parachutist, and it could, if desired, be passed along his side.

,The hook I, comprises a metallic hook provided with a slot 2, by means of which it is fastened at the end of the strap 3. It comprises also a central portion 4, having a rectangular section with rounded corners which, when the parachute pack is hooked, fit in the slot of hooking ring I4, so as to prevent rotation of this latter.

The double cheek of the spring hook 5 is so shaped, in the portion which comes in contact with the hooking ring I4, that a little effort produced by the latter, tends to place the spring position, and to prevent the unlocking of the pack in the case of the spring being broken. By acting inversely on the lug 6, the rotation of the spring hook l is produced, and the pack may be taken out.

In order that severe torsion strains may not be produced on hook I, which must be always attached rigidly to the girdle I, it is necessary that an axis 8, disposed in the plane of the hook, and fixed in a suitable position with respect to the girdle I. The rigid connection betweenthe hook and the girdle is necessary in order. that the parachute may not detach itself from the forward connection of the girdle before the parachute has beencompletely taken on from the container, and only when its canopy has fully opened out, owing to the high res slstance produced, the container, becomes detached from the fixed forward point er the of the parachutist for the two following principal reasons: firstly for obtaining the rotation of the parachutist body, so as to movev him away from the riggingsand from the casing oi the parachute, so that during the unfolding of the canopy he may not be struck by these parts; secondly because whenit is'desired to operate the parachute by hand, the handle designed for this purpose ,may be placed in front of the parachutist andin a suitable position for exerting a pulling action on the string cutteri These last conditions, including the rotation, are obtained by making the axis of rotation 8 always be sposed on the lei'tparachutist, and consequently,

the belt, always worn by the This result is obtained by means oi"v is placed at the left hand side with metal or with other material, suitably selected and having a calibratedisection, which axis 8, is inserted in the slot: 9" carried by hook I, but the ends; of whic are inserted in the two slots Il, carried by the various meshes of the adjustable chain, and bygthe end plate of said chain, so that the hook most convenient positionrespecting the various body sizes of the parachutists.

The detachment of the container from the girdle is operated by cutting axis 8.

In the system of harness for wearing the parachutes, the hook above described may find a possible application, and the idea of providing an axis of rotation to be broken by the shock produced in opening the parachute is intended to be comprised in the present invention, also in relation to the said special disposition of the hook on the harness.

The parachute pack, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, forms a unit having minimum weight and dimensions, and is provided with a rigid bottom I I, forming a portion of the whole casis free to assume the, I

ingof the parachute, said casing being com-v pleted by four flaps I2 of cloth impermeable or not. The rigid portion carries outside three handles I3, to facilitate handling of the parachute container, and is traversed by the double hooking hook I4, which in its turn is provided with the pieces IS. The bundle of the suspension riggings' I6 leading from the canopy of the parachute, is fixed to the double ring internally with respect to the rigid bottom I and is disposed therein in correct order by means of the elastic bands II. On the bundle of riggings the other portions of the parachute are subsequently disposed.

The parachute pack is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, metallic element shapes or be made the same profile as the rigid bottom of the parachute pack, said small cage standlng on four feet I9 forming distance pieces to keep it apart at a suitable distance from the side wall of the aircraft, on to which it is attached by means of the straps 20. Two fixed knobs 2|, fixed on to the tubular element I8, provide a support to the parawhich may be placed in a small case, formed with a tubular I8, which may have other 23. With this arrangementthe parachute packis always ready in a well determined place.

The taking away of the-parachute pack from the small cage is very easy, take it by the handle I3 and to pull it out gently, thus it is drawn out in the right 'way for its successive hooking, as the hooking ring I4 will be found facing theperson who will'have to wear.

the parachute, and in the right position for locking it on the hook provided on the girdle.

Lastly, the small cage carries, in a suitable position the eyelet 24 to .which the restricting line 25 is fixed by means of thespring hook 26; this restricting line will always be hooked on when the parachute pack is lodged in its small with other materials, having chute pack, which is also maintained in its right cage, in this way the automatic operation of the parachute is always assured.

I claim:

1. Parachute pack comprising a canopy, rigging lines, a single hook, an opening device and a parachute hooking ring capable of being detached by means of said single hook, and a metallic chain girdle of adjustable length with-which said hooking ring is capable of co-operating by said single hook being capable of hooking onto the one of the meshes of said chain girdle selected, means including a calibrated metallic shaft operatively associated with said hook and chain for constantly maintaining said hook in the same position with respect to the body size of the wearer, and said shaft allowing limited rotation of said hook, said shaft being breakable when the-parachute commences to operate in order to detach said parachute pack from said chain girdle.

2. A parachute pack according to claim wherein the single hook has a slot, and the calibrated metal shaft is inserted in said slot in said single hook and serves to connect the single. hook to the chain girdle, and wherein corresponding slots are formed in the meshes of the chain girdle and the two ends of said shaft are inserted into said corresponding slots, so that the release of the parachute pack from the chain girdle occurs by breakage of said shaft.

LUIGI AVORIO. 

